


Getting it Back

by RebaK1tten



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mpreg, post baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2014-05-27
Packaged: 2018-01-26 16:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1695620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebaK1tten/pseuds/RebaK1tten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think this was from the Hotch/Reid prompt site on Live Journal - Hotch is reluctant to make love to Reid after their child is born. He feels guilty for putting Reid through it all, but since Hotch is Hotch he doesn't tell Reid what's wrong and Reid is left wondering what's going on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting it Back

Eleanor Reid Hotchner is ten weeks old and now sleeps for four to six hours at a stretch. Not every night, but there are nights when Spencer can put her down at 8.00 p.m and not get up again until midnight or even 1.00 a.m. for her next bottle.  Sometimes, Spencer will stay awake until 9.00, to spend a little bit of private time with Jack and Aaron, but 9.00 is about as much as he can handle.

He’s on parental leave from his job and right now, they’re thinking he’ll stay out for about six months. That should give Ellie time to bond with her family, time for Spencer to feel comfortable being a parent to a newborn and time for him to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. Male pregnancy is more common now and their obstetrician was highly recommended, but a male cesarean birth is still major surgery.

Of course it’s hard doing the single parent thing when Aaron is at work, and particularly when he’s away for days on a case. Haley’s sister, Jessica, has been at the house three times a week to help, which is especially helpful with Jack getting home from school and Aaron out of town. Initially, Spencer wanted to just crawl under the covers and cry, but that was the first couple of weeks when he was still physically exhausted and sore and overwhelmed. Now, he’s familiar with his exhaustion, which is just from Ellie’s sleep pattern. His body is feeling better, he’s got the routine down and so overall things are pretty good.

Except for one thing – Aaron won’t touch him sexually. They’re still affectionate, they hug, there’s good morning, welcome home and good night kisses. But there’s no sex, and nothing that feels like it’s going to lead to sex.  For the first month, that was fine with Spencer, he’d rather sleep than do much of anything. After about six weeks, he’s starting to feel a little interested, but right about that time, Aaron has an eight day trip away, so they’re back on hold. For the last three weeks, Spencer has been trying to figure out what’s going on. Aaron doesn’t seem any more tired than usual, the baby is finally settling down so they have some adult time. Spencer doesn’t think that Aaron’s attraction to him was only physical, but perhaps there is something to that.

Spencer’s getting ready for bed, it’s a little after 9.00 p.m. Ellie is asleep, Jack is in bed and Aaron is downstairs working. Spencer’s undressing for a quick shower and stops to look at himself in the mirror. Ten weeks postpartum, he looks at his stomach, which is still slightly round, but not bad. The scar above his pubic hair is still rather red, but doesn’t look too sore. He’s lost about twenty of the thirty pounds he had gained and since he started out so slender, his doctor says it’s very good. He coated himself in creams that are supposed to prevent stretch marks and he thinks they helped.

He checks his chest, which is no longer swollen and looks pretty much as it did before. Spencer brushes a hand over his nipples, which are a little darker than before he had Ellie, but no longer puffy or sore. He breast fed for the first five days, as recommended for men, but after that, because the colostrum didn’t change to mature breast milk as it does for women, he stopped.

He turns and looks at his back and his butt, both seem fine, the baby weight was all in the front – well maybe a little bit of hip, but he’s not a pear by any means. Spencer looks closely at his face, and yes, he has dark circles under his eyes, but he’s always had them. Maybe there’s a line or two on his forehead, but that’s probably from facial expressions. There may be just the start of a line around the corner of his eyes (or a wrinkle, but calling it a line is better), but nothing too bad, considering. Spencer uses sunscreen daily and he’ll add a moisturizer at night, too.

Suddenly, he hears a chuckle from the door and spins around to see Aaron leaning against the wall, watching the self-appraisal.

“Aaron, you startled me. I don’t suppose you came in 60 seconds ago?”

“No, sorry. I came in during the ass check. Everything okay, passing muster?” Aaron hasn’t moved from the door, Spencer notes.

He pulls on a long t-shirt before answering. “I don’t know, Aaron. What do you think? Do I look okay to you?”

Aaron crosses the room and pulls Spencer into a gentle hug, softly kissing his cheek. “Yes, always have been and always will be.” Aaron releases him, turns and starts to undress. “Were you going to shower or just go to bed?”

“Umm, I’m just going to bed. You staying up?”

“I think I’ll jump in the shower, if that won’t keep you up,” Aaron replies while undressing.

“No, go ahead. I’m just going to go and check on the kids for a sec before bed.” Spencer pauses at the door and smiles at Aaron. “I never thought I’d be saying that. I’m going to go look at my kids.”

Spencer checks on both rooms; Jack is burrowed under the covers as usual and Ellie is sprawled out on her back, both fast asleep. When Spencer goes back to their room, he goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth and sees Aaron in the steamy shower. The door is frosted and the room is steamy, but it’s pretty easy to recognize the familiar movement – and that Aaron’s back is turned and he seems in a bit of a hurry.

“You don’t have to do that alone, you know,” Spencer says entering the shower and hugging Aaron from behind. “In fact, you don’t have to do that. I can do it or I can do other things. If you want…”

Aaron’s hands drop to his sides and he sighs. “I’m sorry, Spencer, I didn’t want to annoy you…”

“Annoy me? Believe me, you’re not annoying me.” Spencer runs his hands up and down Aaron’s soapy chest and lightly pinches a nipple, while kissing the back of Aaron’s neck. “I’m just sorry you started without me.”

Tilting his head back against his husband’s shoulder, Aaron tries to relax into the gentle kisses. “I didn’t want to push you. I know you’re tired and heck, you just had a baby. I’m sure you probably don’t need me acting like an insensitive jerk.”

Spencer turns Aaron around so their soapy chests and bellies rub against each other. “Yes, I’m tired and yes, I had a baby, but it was weeks ago. And I’m not tired now and up until a couple of minutes ago, neither were you.  Aaron…are you still attracted to me at all?”

Aaron steps back and takes Spencer’s face gently in his hands. “My god, love, of course I am. You’re gorgeous, you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever known. When I came in the bedroom and saw you in the front of the mirror looking at your adorable little butt, well, that’s what sent me into the shower. I just didn’t want to make you feel like you have to service me or something.”

“Wow, we’ve been on different wave lengths or something for a while, haven’t we?” Spencer puts his hands over Aaron’s and kisses him, not at all gently this time. When he hears a little moan he says, “Aaron, I don’t know what your experience was with Haley, but seriously, if you don’t take me to bed now, I’m going to end up being extremely offended.”

He turns off the shower and they step out, Aaron wrapping Spencer in a towel to keep warm, while he grabs another couple of towels for their hair.

Wrapped up, they head back into the bedroom and are soon under the covers, gently kissing and reintroducing themselves.  Nothing too intense, kisses, touches, gentle licks and nips. Remembering the special places and touches that the other likes. It reminds Spencer of the first time they were together when Aaron took him in his mouth and came in Spencer’s hand.  

It’s not wild, it’s not loud and they’re asleep minutes afterwards. In other words, it’s perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hello to me or leave a prompt on [Tumblr](http://rebakitt3n.tumblr.com/)


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